


Prowl Through Empty Fields

by AcuteRabbit (CathedralMidnight), CathedralMidnight



Category: Sonic the Hedgehog - All Media Types
Genre: A little angst, Arguments, Drama, Everyone is Legal Age, Explosions, F/M, Fighting, Finished, M/M, Planned to the end, Rewritten History, Robots, Sad times, Summary, but maybe?, commander tower is a butt, cursing, good job breaking it hero, is this rewritten LORE?, it was me austin and everyone fell for it, it was me dio, jokes that run too long, low fat sonadow, puns maybe, scourge and sonic are nicknames, scourge and sonic are twins, scourge's ringtone is based on the song Emptyness &, smoooooch, summarized ending, tags added as needed, tags added as story unfolds, they cute tho, they probably won't bang, title doesn't really mean anything, whose man's is this?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-14
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:33:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,571
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26457226
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CathedralMidnight/pseuds/AcuteRabbit, https://archiveofourown.org/users/CathedralMidnight/pseuds/CathedralMidnight
Summary: Sonic has begun to notice everyone and everything is changing around him. Who is he when there's no villains to fight? Right on the edge of this question, chaos erupts as he loses his home and nearly his brother. But is Eggman behind the attack this time? It's up to Sonic and Shadow to find out the truth while also navigating the blossoming feelings between them.Prowl Through Empty Fields (Prowl)Summarized Ending
Relationships: Amy Rose/Miles "Tails" Prower, Sonadow, Sonic the Hedgehog/Shadow the Hedgehog
Comments: 8
Kudos: 34





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, it's me! AcuteRabbit (aka CathedralMidnight). It's been a while, huh? I've been playing around with a Sonadow idea for a couple of months and after writing out a few chapters, decided to see how it would do over here. I decided to write them under a pseud since I know a lot of people know me from my Undertale stories. I'm more or less done writing for Undertale at the moment (I wrote it for three years straight!). I've always been a fan of Sonadow and would love to see it get a bit more love, so I'm adding my drop in the bucket. It's going to be a wonky start as I started writing this for a writing discord that let us read pieces under 1k (though I did go over a few times). The limit was recently upped to 2K, but by then, I had decided that it would probably do a little better here. I haven't decided on an update schedule since I'm not sure how well this will do. Depending on hits, it could update anywhere from once to three times a week! Either way, I do plan on finishing it, so there's nothing to worry about on that end. Let's begin!

Prowl Through Empty Fields 1

The gym was empty, which was fine for him. He could walk on the treadmill without anyone giving him any strange looks. He liked to walk when he was in thought and walking on a treadmill was fine because that meant he didn't have to focus on where he was going. He could just... think.

_“Big Brother, I think I'm going to ask Amy to marry me.”_

_When did Tails... Miles... grow up?_ Sonic thought to himself as his soft gaze settled on the busy street outside. In all of his lazing around, he hadn't noticed Miles and Amy had gotten that serious in their relationship. And now, his surrogate little brother wanted to get married.

_“Twenty-two is kinda young, don't you think?”_

_“Maybe, but... it just feels right, ya know?”_

_Just feels right, huh?_ Sonic thought as his sneakered feet walked in place on the revolving floor underneath him, soft 'thumps' looping over and over.

_What feels right for me then?_

He didn't know.

Sonic had felt rather aimless in the peace of the city, unlike when he had been younger. When he was younger, after a battle, he'd party, celebrate, then lounge around until the next big threat.

However, things had been quite for months on end and now Sonic felt... lost.

_Am I only happy when people are in danger? Well... that's pretty fucked up._

No, that wasn't the case, not exactly, more so, he just felt... empty when he wasn't saving lives, as if all he knew was how to be hero. When he wasn't a hero, he... wait....

He... didn't know who he was when he wasn't a hero.

The realization made him stop walking and slide off the treadmill, eyes wide.

_...Who am I …. when I'm not a hero?_

Tails was an inventor, Amy was a teacher, Knuckles, a researcher; Sally was Queen now, Antione was a trainer and Bunnie was a coach. Even his twin was in college now.

They all had something to do, had another role in their lives when hell wasn't raining from the sky.

But, what did Sonic do, just wait around for the next threat?

So... what do you do when the threats run out?

Sonic didn't like thinking about this. His head hurt. A voice whispered for him to talk to someone, to figure this all out. There was gap in his life he didn't know how to fill and that gap would just continue to grow and swallow up everything until---

“We interrupt this broadcast to bring you breaking news!” announced the TV hanging on a nearby support beam.

Sonic's gaze went upward and his eyes took in a scene of raw carnage.

Had a building... exploded? He couldn't tell. The building looked as if two giant hands had torn the structure in half down its middle--- and explosion couldn't have done that, right?

But there were flames, screaming, the camera panned around to show the rest of the street, revealing ripped up asphalt as if something had hit the street hard and slid forward, tearing up pavement and exposing raw earth.

Wait... the hedgehog recognized those buildings.... They were down the street from....

Sonic felt his gut drop, his breath get sucked from his lungs. His cellphone rang, pulling him from his shock just enough for him to dig into his jacket pocket while his eyes stayed focused on the TV screen. “He-hello?”

“Sonic! Oh, gods!”

“Ta-tails?”

“Oh, gods, you're okay! The news, I---what?” he called to someone else in the room. “Oh, gods! Sonic, Amy can't reach Scourge!”

Sonic felt the color drain from his face. His stomach managed to drop further, like a boulder in his guts.

Scourge didn't have classes today.

He was at home. At the apartment.

The one ripped in half, smoking and burning, releasing a cacophony of screaming and wailing on the TV.

Everything faded away. There was no sound, no air, just a blur of color as Sonic ran. He ran on the sidewalk, through traffic; he ran, despite how heavy his body felt. He only stopped when he reached the devastated street.

The screaming assaulted him, like turning on a TV that had the volume all the way up.

From the end of the street, he could see the silver apartment building, torn in half, splintered apart like a doll that hadn't survived the tug of war of selfish children. Sonic began the long walk up the street, still trying to piece together what had happened, still trying to process the carnage in front of him. He couldn't hear his own thoughts over the sirens of fire trucks, ambulances and police, all a chorus of warning.

No, he couldn't heed the warning, he had to...

“Scourge...” he whispered, his walk becoming a jog, a pushing against scrambling bodies as the devastation loomed closer.

He could see floors torn in half, ceilings bleeding wires, furniture still crashing several feet to the ground.

The pleads for help and screams of names were so loud and soon his voice joined the choir.

“Scourge! Scourge!” he screamed towards the gutted building. “Fuck!” he cursed as he ran into the ruination. Along with desperate others, he ignored the warnings and crawled into Hell--- the smoldering remains of his home. Metal was hot through his gloves, he could smell gas, the smoke burned his eyes.

Coughing, he screamed for his twin again. Had he fallen when the building had been ripped apart or was he still on the sixth floor, pinned and crushed? Was he one of the bodies hanging over the edge of splintered floors like a discarded rag?

He didn't know what would be worst.

Somehow in his panicked state, Sonic had the idea to pull out his phone and dial Scourge's number. Maybe, if he was lucky....

“ _Happiness” for children of nowhere_

“ _Happiness”, you felt a little higher_

_Twice now, my heart is bleeding_

_Like sunshine_

Sonic's head perked up. Was he...? Gods.... He started climbing, hoping that the building wouldn't collapse, please don't collapse.

“ _Happiness” doesn't break all the silence_

“ _Happiness” makes me want to cry_

“Please, please, just...” Sonic heaved himself over the edge, crawled into a pile of furniture---couch, chair, table, piles of ceiling tiles, insulation, metal. “Just, please...”

_Twice now, dreams are collapsing...._

_We'll fall here_

“Scourge!” Sonic screamed when he saw his twin's face.

Bleeding, bruised, still, until a shallow breath escaped.

“Sakasa!” Sonic screamed his brother's real name, making a frantic crawl as his body shook. “Sakasa! Can you hear me! D-don't move! I'm gonna try to get this stuff off you!” Sonic spoke through tears. He tried to push the heavy couch away only to pull back when Scourge groaned. Gods, was he hurting him? He, he needed to get some help, professionals, someone! “D-don't worry. Big bro's gonna get help!” He went to stand up before a broken voice called to him...

“Sa...baya...”

Sonic froze, blue eyes staring into dimming green ones.

“I...I'm cold... I... I'm scared....” came a whisper.

Sonic grabbed Scourge's broken hand, fought back the urge to squeeze tight.

He didn't let got when the fire fighters reached them, when they put him on a stretcher. He just keep repeating, “I'm here. Big Bro's isn't going anywhere. I'm here.”

In the ambulance, Sonic didn't look at the mess of bone and fur that was once his brother's legs. Instead, he stayed focused on his face, hoping his eyes would open again.

They forced him to let go at the hospital.

Sonic couldn't remember the last time something had been so difficult.

Trembling, he stood in the bustling lobby, could still smell ash and smoke from others waiting for any sort of news.

“Sit down. I need to sit down,” he told himself.

His phone rung again.

He didn't want to answer, he couldn't talk, couldn't reason, couldn't....

Sonic dug into his pocket, wanting to silence the chipper tone.

He froze at the caller's name on the screen.

Mom.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let's see how Shadow takes this event....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again ~ Enjoy~

Shadow wasn't sleeping. The Ultimate Life Form needed no sleep! But he still got weary and mentally exhausted, so finding him slumped over his desk wasn't too surprising. His eyes were closed, his breathing slow. Papers were piled around his hands, the desk light was a bit askew, having been pushed when Shadow had rested his head on his arms.

He just needed to cut his mind off for a while--- not organize, double check, white out or sigh at some stupid mistake.

Just. Not. Think.

But his cell phone rang.

His eyes opened just a centimeter. He sighed, reached for his phone and saw Rouge's name on the caller ID.

He groaned.

Great! What now? What pile of paper did he need to double check, who did he need to scream at to get a damn signature!?

He tapped Accept. “Hello?”

“Shadow? Shadow, there's been a... they're not sure, maybe an explosion, but---”

Shadow sat up, confused. He... didn't handle things like explosions. “Rouge, slow down. Why are you calling me for field work? I don't---”

“It's Sonic's apartment,” Rouge answered.

Shadow's eyes widen. “....What? ...What about Sonic?”

“There was an explosion at his apartment building, but neither the police nor the fire department can figure out the cause. The Commander wants us to investigate. He thinks we've dealt with this sort of thing enough to figure it out.”

“You didn't answer my question,” Shadow growled. “What about Sonic?”

“I don't know!” Rouge shot. “If he's not still in..... If he's anywhere... maybe at the hospital?”

Shadow stood up, grabbing his key card that doubled as his ID. “Which hospital?” he demanded, throwing his study door open.

“I don't know!” Rogue repeated. “But you have orders, Shadow. You need to get down here--- excuse you! I'm on my way, but there's still a circus of people rushing around. I'd fly, but airspace is closed off.”

“Are you sure Sonic isn't already down there?” Shadow asked as he dashed down the hall.

“Shadow?” Eclipse called from the kitchen. “It's almost dinner time. Are you---?”

“Sorry, work call,” Shadow called back from the door as he fought to put on his shoes one-handed. “Make sure Maria gets dinner!” He threw open the front door and dashed out. “Rouge, did you hear me?”

“Yeah, it's just.... Oh....”

“What?” Shadow asked, slowing to a stop in the hall.

“Shadow, just... just hurry.”

He didn't need much of an incentive to run down the hall and rush onto the street. Outside was buzzing with people and Mobians standing at TV-filled windows or looking at their phones. Every TV station and news site was probably on the scene.

All Shadow could think about however was Sonic. Sonic had been Shadow's biggest support in breaking away from Robotnik who had held Maria hostage, forcing Shadow to hunt down the Chaos Emeralds. Sonic had been the first to understand and forgive him; had helped him and Maria settle down in a place close to a hospital for Maria's illness. He had convinced Rouge to talk to the Commander about getting Shadow a job. Sonic had been there when Shadow's “Father” Black Doom had come back for the Chaos Emeralds and thrown a fit when his “son” wouldn't come “home.” They had fought side by side when the world was on the brink of ending, cracking jokes and making suggestive comments to each other all the way.

Those comments... they had led to some... interesting feelings beginning to sprout....

But there was no time to dwell on that as Shadow's heart dropped to the very depths of his stomach at the sight of the shattered building. He could see covered bodies in front of the collapse, ambulances, cops, fire trucks. They would probably be pulling bodies out for hours...

“Shadow!” Rouge called from behind the police tape.

Shadow snapped out of his shock, then showed his GUN ID to a cop, who nodded him through. He gave brief glances at the covered bodies as he approached Rouge. Some of them were so small....

“Shadow,” Rouge's voice was much softer as she rested a hand on his arm. “I don't think Sonic is here.”

“I....” Shadow's voice broke. “...Let's just get to work.”

Rouge nodded and turned back to the building. “Look closely,”she began. “The way the building is split in half, almost evenly. The burn marks at the incision. This was no ordinary explosion. Something, a laser most likely, from somewhere targeted this building.”

Shadow gave a hard stare. “...You're right....” He began to walk the perimeter of the wreckage, stepping over tossed furniture, chunks of cement, shards of glass and broken wood. “...Something's missing...” he murmured. “The surrounding area shows no sighs of damage---no tracks, no scorch marks. Where did this attack come from?” He looked up at the sky. “There weren't any reports of the sky looking strange?” Shadow called back to Rouge, who was following a few feet behind.

“I don't think so,” she answered. “As far as I know, there's been no eye witness reports taken. I believe the focus for now is removing the bodies and keeping the street clear.”

Shadow gave a murmur in response and stopped at the front of the building. He held out a hand and used that to follow the path of the cut. He then walked closer and eyed the ground, began to notice how the pile of building's remains appeared to be... sinking, as if there was some sort of... hole?

“....Underground....” Shadow realized, his voice getting Rouge's attention. “Look at how sunken the ground is, how burnt it is compared to the building. The ground burnt longer because the source of the cut came from the ground, sliced the building, then dissipated as it hit the street ahead.”

“It's a miracle the thing hasn't sunk completely,” Rouge started. “ But, if that's the case, we need to find someone with the capability of firing a large, laser-like weapon.”

The two gave each other a knowing glance.

“But,” Shadow started. “This isn't really Robotnik's M.O.,” he admitted, crossing his arms. “Where's the grand entrance, where's the showy speech?”

“Well, who else do you know with this sort of fire power?” Rouge asked.

Shadow sighed. “I know, but still... It's too quiet for the Black Arms, not that I'm expecting them. Too loud for any of the Ninja Clans. ...I suppose Robotnik has used a laser or two to get the world's attention. But still,” he looked back at the apartment. “A direct assault on one building. No, not just that, _Sonic's home._ But no announcement to scare the populace, to rub this in Sonic's face? No, this doesn't sit well with me.”

“Well, what do you want to do?” Rouge asked.

“It would be best to cover all of our bases,” Shadow started. “Tell the Commander to look into Robotnik. Try to clear out the hole and see if there's a tunnel leading somewhere, but don't be surprised if there isn't. You said it yourself that the building hasn't sunk completely, which probably means some of the ground below collapsed, covering up their exit,” he finished as he began to go through his phone. He selected Sonic's name on the screen and held his breath. _Pick up, where ever you are, please pick up._

“...Hello?”

“Sonic!” Shadow cried. “I... are you...?

“I'm... I'm at the hospital,” his voice was so... small. “The Memorial one... Sh...Shadow.... Scourge is here. He's... not quite stable... and...,” Sonic chocked on a sob.

Shadow's brow furrowed at the news. He knew how close Sonic was to his twin. If anything happened to Scourge, Sonic might not recover himself.

“Sonic, are... are you there alone?”

“Our parents are here... I'm in the lobby.” The sniffing began. “Shadow... I don't know what to do....”

“I'm coming,” Shadow answered, leaving Rouge to deal with the Commander. “Just... it'll... it'll be....” Shadow trailed. Dammit, he was supposed to be the stoic one, the rock, the one who could take a tidal wave and remain standing. But he couldn't.... He couldn't tell Sonic everything would be okay because right now, those words felt like nothing but a lie.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All of you are real pieces of work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Drama! This chapter goes by a little fast because it was written to be under 1k for the writing discord. I thought about going back and adding in the little details I had to take out, but it mostly came down to just tightening word choice and dialogue, so adding or rearranging things wouldn't have added much to the story.

Prowl Chapter 3

Shadow pushed through the crowded waiting room until he found Sonic by the windows. “Sonic!”

Sonic's head shot up. He blinked wet eyes at Shadow, before standing and burying his face into Shadow's chest fur.

Shadow froze a moment before putting arms around him. “I'm here,” he murmured. “Can you tell me... anything you're comfortable with?”

Sonic nodded and pulled back to look at Shadow. “He's still unconscious... Lost a lot of blood,” he whispered, voice hoarse. “Shadow... one of his legs...” A new wave of sobs washed over Sonic.

Shadow held him until the sobs quieted down. “Your parents are here, right?”

Sonic gestured. “They're in his room. I... I couldn't watch my mom cry....It was like banshee wails. So I came out here. Amy and Tails came. Helped... talk me down.”

Shadow blinked. “Talk you down?”

“I... wasn't in a good place a while ago,” Sonic looked up. “I've been protecting Sakasa since I found out he almost came out backwards. Even his name means “inversion.” Mom will say it's because his colors are opposite mine--- green fur, blue eyes---but it was really her way of dealing with the trauma of his birth. ….And now she's back in a hospital beside him again....” Sonic tried to sniff back the tears. “And I keep thinking if there was something I could have done....” His breathing quickened. “I, I should have..... He's been studying so hard. He needed a break. I should have...”

“Sabayai,” Shadow called. “Take slow, deep breaths.”

Sonic breathed deep, slow and even.

“I'll go get some tissue,” Shadow offered. “Unless you---”

“Ah, Agent Shadow!”

Shadow blinked and glanced over his shoulder. “Commander Tower?”

The tall, gray-haired Overlander marched over. “And Sonic the Hedgehog. How forward of you, Agent Shadow, taking the investigation to the witnesses.”

Shadow gave a confused stare. “Sir, I....”  
“Wait.... Is... _that_ why you really came down here?” Sonic asked Shadow, eyes narrowing. “Were you already on your way here when you called me?”

“No!” Shadow cried. “I mean, yes, but only to make sure you were all right. I didn't come here to investigate.”

“Nonsense, Agent Shadow,” Tower pressed.

“Commander,” Shadow spat the word. “Agent Rouge should have told you to look into Robotnik.”

“But you're already here, questioning Sonic, an expert on Robotnik attacks,” Tower gave a grin that didn't reach his eyes. “Very good, Agent Shadow.”

Sonic's fists shook. He glared at Shadow, who could only stand there, dumbfounded.

Surely, Sonic wouldn't believe---

“What the fuck, Shadow!?”

What!? No, Tower was lying!

“My brother might lose a leg and you act concerned so you can waltz in here and get information!?” the hedgehog exploded, making Shadow take a step back. “I thought you cared, but you've always been a hard ass, you know that!?”

“Sonic, please---”

“I don't want to hear it!” Sonic shot. “I can't believe I....” he whipped around, hand covering his face. “ ..'m so stupid...”

“Sonic,” Shadow called. “You know me. I would never disrespect you like this.”

“Then what the hell is he doing here!?” Sonic cried, spinning around to point at the Commander.

Tower didn't reply and Shadow couldn't even begin to.

“Look,” Sonic sighed, body deflating. “I get you need to investigate, but can you at least wait until the blood's dry?” he glared at Shadow before turning around and disappearing down the hallway.

Shadow bit his tongue. “You humans know how to hold one hell of a grudge. Well, I 'took' Maria from you. Sonic's pissed at me. Are we even?”

Tower turned on his heel. “Far from it.”

“What more do you want!?” Shadow spat in a low whisper.

“....You were supposed to cure her.”

“How many times do I have to apologize!? I don't know what Gerald planned to do with me to help Maria. But she's _alive_ , Abraham, isn't that enough?”

“If you call being confined to a bubble living.”

“She has an entire room to herself, Abraham! It's not ideal, but it's better than putting her in stasis and studying my DNA for decades. Abraham, if you put aside your own guilt, you'd know---”

“ _My own guilt!?”_ The Overlander snapped, eyes widening as he spun around.

Shadow's voice softened. “We both know you never forgave yourself for losing Maria in the raid, for Robotnik finding us first and using Maria as a bargaining chip.” Shadow looked down. “I haven't fully forgiven myself for that....”

Tower turned back around. “Well, the monster can feel guilt. Good. Stew in it.”

Shadow looked up with a heated scowl as Tower began to retreat. “At least I can admit to it.”

“Get to work, Agent Shadow.” Tower marched out of the waiting room.

Shadow kept his glower a moment longer before letting out a tired sigh. He took out his phone and dialed Rouge's number before walking over to a quiet corner.

“Shadow?”

“Did you tell Tower I was at the hospital?”

“Y-Yes? He wanted to know where you were. I told him that and about Robotnik. Why?”

“He came to see me.”

“What? No, he's right.... Oh.... Shadow, I am so sorry. I didn't give it a second thought. What did he do?”

“He said I was only there to investigate in front of my troubled best friend.”

“I can't believe he.... No. I can believe it. I'm sorry, Shadow.”

“I know you didn't do it on purpose. Anyway, I'm heading back.”

“...What about Sonic?”

“I'm going to leave him with his family and try to fix this in a couple of days. Hopefully, things don't get worse before that.”

“...You just love jinxing things, don't you?”

“Hn, yeah. I'm sorry about that.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two robots? And...?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a pretty short chapter, so I'll update with the next chapter in a few. =3

Prowl Through Empty Fields (chapter 4)

The heavy iron doors fought their way into opening, scratching and squealing as they pulled themselves apart. If robots could sigh, he would have as this meant adding another repair to the long list of them.

The praise he received next did nothing for his irritated mood.

“Excellent work on the repairs, Metal Sonic.”

The ultramarine robot turned to the towering screen on the console to his right.

Staring with a vacant gaze was Tails Doll. The approximation of Tails was slumped against a corner, wires bleeding from his eyes and head, trailing off into the surrounding darkness.

“The repairs proved... immature,” Metal Sonic replied. “Had I known our plan in full, my attention would have been focused on sturdier, outer reinforcements .”

“Nonsense,” Tails Doll replied, voice sounding human to a disgusting degree. “The weapon system worked perfectly--- of course, that's mostly due to my flawless calculations. We also found a way to make this junk heap move. Granted, getting it to fly again is still top priority. But after the attack today, I doubt we will have much interference from our biggest threat.” A cackling laugh shook the air. “This is how you deal with a threat, foolish doctor!”

Metal Sonic glared at the insult as Tails Doll continued.

“You hit them where it **hurts!** Their homes, their community, their family. You cut them off **at the knees!** None of this empire nonsense and capturing little animals! No, you make your first move your last move. This is war, not a damn video game, **fat man!”**

“Would you happen to be terminating your useless ramblings in the near future?” Metal Sonic broke in.

If Tails Doll could blink at the interruption, he would have. “...Oh? Am I **bothering** you?” he screeched. “Can't stand to be working for someone smarter than that obese sack of flesh!”

“The Doctor would not waste his time gloating in such a manner.”

“Well, the Doctor isn't here! I'm the one in charge now! Or do you need a reminder!?”

There was a single loud beep that made Metal lock up his joints. He didn't dare move as the collar around his titanium cervical vertebra began to heat up, began to tighten.

If Metal could breath, well... he wouldn't be right now.

All he could do was wait and... the collar began to cool off and loosen.

“There,” Tails Doll spoke. “I think that reminder is enough, don't you agree? Now, be a good little robot and start repairs on the outer anti-gravitational ring and boosters. Oh, and, one more thing: We all know how much the Doctor loves to gloat. Don't feed yourself **bullshit** that says otherwise. Now get to work.”

The red gem glowing at the end of Tails Doll's antenna blinked off.

Metal's joints unlocked with loud creaking. His processors tried to work through the sensations and thoughts he shouldn't have been able to feel before a tiny voice whispered over his personal communicator.

“Metal, you have to be more careful.”

“I... I am... I... Yes. Yes, affirmative. I will be more cautious in the future. Do not engage in worrying. I will...”

Metal trailed off when static rung from the tiny speaker, then cut out. Right, they couldn't talk for long. By now, Metal had gotten accustomed to the curt responses.

With the conversation over, the robot set out to begin repairs on the husk once known as the Death Egg MK II. While doing so, he tried to calculate possible actions that would be allowable once the Death Egg was flying again. The machine had been formidable years ago, but surely now, technology existed to removed the war dealing contraption from the sky. Keeping the machine grounded seemed to be a better idea.

And yet, here he was, going over plans and blueprints, picking out what could be reused to ensure this metal beast could soar again.

Metal wished (a disgusting human action) that the Doctor was here. The Doctor told him everything, the Doctor laid everything out on the table so nothing could surprise the best of the Metal Sonic Line. But Metal hadn't seen Robotnik since waking up from stasis with this damn collar on. If he was somewhere on the Death Egg, Metal hadn't seen any sign of him.

Robotnik had to still be on the Death Egg somewhere, though---unless he had been captured in the last battle. Metal couldn't remember the last battle--- something had gone wrong in stasis and his memory files were corrupted. Maybe that was why he couldn't remember where the Doctor was. Metal could only hope (ug, another disgusting human action) that that was the situation.

At best, Robotnik was hiding somewhere on the Death Egg while someone else was trying to run the show.

Well, once Metal found the Doctor, the show would be canceled and the crew fired--- and Metal would personally make good on the firing.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apologies and Anime

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably one of my favorite chapters thus far. I hope you enjoy it!

Prowl 5

“I'm sorry, but visiting hours are over,” the cat nurse informed.

Sonic's mom let out a tiny sob as she was escorted out of the room by her husband. Sonic gave one last glance at his brother before dragging himself from the room. In the hallway he saw Amy talking to his parents and Tails approaching him.

He didn't return the hug Tails gave. He was just so... tired.

Tails pulled back with a hurt smile. “Um, Amy has a room set up for you at our place”

Sonic perked up at that. He had assumed he'd be staying with his parents for now, but... this was okay too, he felt. This was how his friends had chosen to help him and he appreciated that. “Thanks,” Sonic gave a tired smile.

That was enough to cheer up Tails. “No problem. Our place is also a little closer to the hospital, so...”

“Yeah...” Sonic looked away, rubbing his arm.

“Sonic,” Amy's light voice called as she walked over and stopped beside Tails. “I just wanted to let your parent know that you'd be staying with us. I thought they'd want a bit of time to themselves to just decompress, you know?”

Sonic nodded and the trio began to make their way to the hospital exit.

“Did anyone else come after we left?” Amy asked. She felt as if she needed to keep Sonic talking so his thoughts wouldn't settle and get suck on his brother. She had already noticed how worn out he looked, so, she was surprised when he shoved his hands into his jacket pockets and glared at her question.

“...Shadow.”

Amy cocked a brow as Tails unlocked the car. She got into the front passenger seat, buckled up and looked back at Sonic, who was in the back seat.. “Okay? So, why exactly does that have you looking like you smelled spoiled milk?”

“Because that bastard only showed up to get information about the explosion!”

This time, Tails joined in Amy's surprise, turning to look back at Sonic as well.

“Uh, wait...,” the fox started. “I know Shadow works for GUN and they have to look into everything, but... are you telling me...? I mean, he knew you were at the hospital before he came down there, right?”

“Yes! That's why I'm pissed off!” Sonic cried. “He acts like he came to see me, than his boss shows up---”

“Commander Tower?” Tails questioned.

“Yeah.”

The fox and pink hedgehog gave each other knowing looks before Tails started the car and began the drive home.

Amy sighed. “Sonic, you know Towers _hates_ Shadow. Do you really think he wouldn't take an opportunity to make Shadow look like a bad guy--- _especially_ in front his best friend?”

Sonic blinked. “... Uh, well....”

“And after all of your adventures together you really think Shadow wouldn't put his work aside for you when you're at your lowest? You two have spent years supporting each other. Why would that change all of a sudden?”

Sonic deflated a little. “I... I guess it wouldn't.... Damn it...”  
How could he have been so stupid? Of course Shadow had come to check on him. Shadow could be a hard ass, but he wasn't a soulless prick. He would have done his job, sure, but not while visiting his best friend.

Sonic's face fell into his palm. His emotions had been all over the place, like a tornado and tsunami were battling in his stomach and then the earthquake that was Commander Tower had shown up and made things worse. Sonic knew all about Tower's background and how he was connected to Shadow, so Sonic knew how much of prick the commander was. Sonic should have gone off on Tower if he wanted to relieve some frustration. Why had he chosen Shadow?

...Because he knew Shadow wouldn't fight back?

Sonic groaned. Great, not only had he gone off at the wrong person, he had gone off on the one person he knew wouldn't retaliate against him.

Gods, Sonic had been an asshole. Sure he could blame the trauma of the situation, but that didn't make his actions right.

Sonic needed to apologize

He... really wasn't great at that.

That's why, after dinner, he spent ten minutes staring at a blank test message on his phone, then another ten minutes writing and rewriting his message, then another ten minutes rolling around in the bed sheets, berating himself

Amy stood at the doorway, huffing with her hands on her hips. “You're thinking too hard,” she called before closing the door.

Sonic stopped rolling around, ending up on his back and staring at the ceiling. Was he really thinking too hard...? Of course; Sonic didn't plan, that was for other people He just did what he had to do.

So, he just typed. When he finished, he hit 'send'. He knew if he went back to read over his apology, he would just delete it and start over--- he'd start thinking too hard again.

Right now, thinking was the last thing Sonic wanted to do.

///

9 13 PM Hey, Shadow.

I'm sorry about earlier.

I realized what happened wasn't your fault and you were only trying to check in with me.

I'm sorry I was such a dumb butthead.

9 25 PM You are not a “dumb butthead.”

9 25 PM I am!

I got all mad at you when I should have gotten pissed at your jerkass boss!

I mean, I know he's a jerk! He goes out of his way to be a jerk! But I still yelled at you.

9 26 PM I don't blame you for reacting the way you did.

You were in a stressful situation and you weren't thinking straight.

I'm not mad at you.

9 26 PM Really?

9 26 PM Really.

9 26 PM Um, did you talk to your boss after I left?

9 26 PM Yes. Just our normal back and forth about who's to blame for what.

9 26 PM Wait, does he still blame you for Maria?

9 27 PM Of course he does.

It's always going to be my fault that I don't know what Gerald planned in regards to me and Maria's disease. It's my fault that the Black Arms came back, it's my fault they left Eclipse behind, even though I chose to took him in because he and I are brothers, more or less.

I wouldn't be surprised if he blamed me for the raid on the ARK.

9 27 PM Okay, that was NOT your fault.

I mean, none of what you said was your fault, but the raid REALLY WASNT your fault. Your dad... I mean...

Do you consider Gerald your dad?

9 27 PM I've never thought about it like that, but I suppose for the sake of simplicity, he could be.

9 27 PM Well, okay then. Your dad is the one who screwed up! He shouldn't have been talking to aliens and making promises he couldn't keep!

9 28 PM But if he didn't, I wouldn't be here. Even though in the end, me being here didn't help Maria much.

9 28 PM That's not true, either. Maria got to grow up with a good friend and brother.

And you're right. You wouldn't be here if Gerald hadn't talked to Black Doom. So I guess it's one of those good things that come out of bad things? I mean

9 28 PM What? I think you sent your message too soon.

9 28 PM Sorry about that.

Yeah, I hit send by accident.

9 28 PM What were you going to say?

9 28 PM I'm sure it was going to be something positive and uplifting. Anyway~

9 29 PM You know, you're right. You probably were going to say something corny.

9 29 PM Corny? My pick me up speeches are not corny.

9 29 PM They sound like words straight out of shounen anime.

9 29 PM ...Why do you know what shounen anime is?

9 29 PM That's not the point.

9 29 PM What's your favorite anime?

9 29 PM We are not having this conversation.

9 29 PM Fine, fine, I guess we can talk about something serious.

9 29 PM Like what?

9 30 PM What did you think of the end of Fullmetal Alchemist?

9 30 PM Sonic, no.

9 30 PM Do you remember, Shadow?

9 30 PM Sonic, NO.

9 30 PM ed...edward....

9 30 PM Damn it, Sonic!

9 30 PM LOLOLOLOL XD

9 30 PM Fuck off.

9 30 PM Will you help me? :3

9 31 PM Don't hold your breath.

9 31 PM I'm actually pretty good at that. ;3

9 31 PM Shut up. I am changing the topic now.

9 31 PM Buzzkill.

9 31 PM You only wanted to apologize, right? I accept your apology. You can go to bed now.

9 31 PM I thought we were going to have a serious conversation.

9 31 PM About what?

The only thing worth talking about is the explosion and I thought you wouldn't want to talk about that with everything happening with your family.

Are you at your parents' house?

9 31 PM I'm at Amy's. And of course I want to talk about it.

I want to kick the ass of whoever put my brother in the hospital.

Point me in the right direction. Are we talking Eggman here?

9 31 PM Honestly, I really don't know. I told Rouge earlier that it didn't seem flashy enough for him.

9 32 PM That's actually a good point. This guy broadcast worldwide a giant laser blowing up the moon. He shoots a high rise apartment building and not a peep!

Yeah, I agree. That's weird.

9 32 PM But I cannot for the life of me figure out who else has that sort of fire power. It doesn't fit the MO of any of other known enemies.

9 32 PM Like who?

9 32 PM The Four Ninja Houses, any remaining Egg Legion, the Destructrix, the Black Arms....

9 32 PM Yeah, I guess you're right.

Man, Shades, you're pretty smart, thinking up all those goons.

9 32 PM It's my job after all.

Well, not really, but it is right now.

Anyway, for now, we're treating this like a Robotnik attack.

9 32 PM Well, you know what that means.

9 32 PM I do?

9 32 PM I'm coming with you! I'll help you look for Eggman!

9 32 PM No, that is not what that means. This is GUN business. Besides, your family needs you.

9 33 PM To sit in a room all day and watch my mom cry? No, thank you.

Shadow, I don't want to sit down anymore.

I'm coming with you on your investigations now.

9 37 PM Shadow?

9 37 PM Sorry, I had to take a phone call.

And I still don't think this is a good idea.

9 37 PM You know I'm just gonna come anyway. ( ;3 )

9 42 PM Shadow, who is calling you at ten o clock at night!?

9 42 PM You.

9 42 PM That's not what I meant! >=(

9 42 PM It's just Tower “reminding” me of tasks for tomorrow.

9 42 PM Man, fuck that guy! Let's just go find Ro-butt-nik and kick his ass!

9 42 PM Neither of us should do that first sentence. We can do the finding part, but you'll have to do the ass kicking part. I might get fired if I do it.

9 42 PM Ha ha! Sweet! Then I'll text you after I'm done at the hospital. Is that okay?

9 42 PM That's fine.

9 43 PM Hey, Shadow.

9 43 PM Yes?

9 43 PM We're really okay now, right?

9 43 PM Yeah, we're okay.

9 43 PM That's really good to know.

Good night.

9: 43 PM Good night.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First encounter is a go!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait! (at least it feels like it's a been a long wait?) I think I finally sorted out how I want to work on this schedule-wise, so things should be a little smoother.

His footsteps were slow and heavy as he dragged pieces of scrap, creating a long, drawn out scratching noise. Metal could have picked up the sheets of scrap with ease, but some odd part of him wanted to be petty about having been reduced to a maintenance bot.

He twitched when static filled his auditory sensors.

“Metal Sonic.”

“The channel is open, what are your orders?”

“You are to retrieve a Chaos Emerald.”

Metal stopped in his tracks. “I...I encountered brief interference. Repeat previous statement.”

“You are to retrieve a Chaos Emerald.”

So, he hadn't misheard. “Affirmative. However, this plan thus far sounds similar to a plan the Doctor would create.”

“What the hell is your point!?”

“I was under the assumption that we were operating differently from the Doctor.”

“Oh, don't worry my little metal doppleganger. We are--- by succeeding! I am tracking a Chaos Emerald on the coast. Go get it!”

“May I inquire what you intend for the Emeralds?”

“That's none of your concern! Just do what I tell you! Go!”

Loud static made Metal wince, but just as the silence began to fall, he heard the faintest whisper.

“...power source.”

Metal paused. “Power source? Do we have equipment that requires a Chaos Emerald as a power source? ...Are you able to hear me?”

Silence answered him.

The robot found himself squeezing his optics shut. _Stop this_ , he berated himself. _You are not human. Such emotion is a waste of energy. You have a mission to complete._

That said, Metal dropped the scrap from his hand, spun around and zoomed through dim halls to the entrance, where the light of the noon sun blinded his optics for a moment. He stood at the threshold and just... felt the sun.

How long had he been in the Death Egg? How long since he had felt such warmth?

_You have a mission to complete._

He grimaced at his basic programming overtaking his thoughts again before speeding off through the thick woodlands that somehow managed to hide the Death Egg. Behind the woods was a rocky seawall, then beyond that was a shallow beach.

Was a Chaos Emerald really here, so close to the Death Egg?

Metal tried to zero in on its location with his own radar, but that was broken too, giving him only a general idea of where the emerald was.

He'd be damned if he contacted that bastard for additional information, for... help.

All Metal could do then was hurry along the beach and keep a close optic on the area for anything gleaming.

Like the camera following his movements.

~

“All right, Mom, I'll be careful, I promise!” Sonic closed the door of the hospital room and gave a heavy sigh. “Man, I knew I shoulda just lied. Now Mom's gonna worry. I know, I know, 'lying's bad, Sonic,' but she's going through hell already I shoulda just told her we were going out to lunch or something.... Shadow?”

The stoic hedgehog had been listening, but his fiery eyes were glued to his phone.

“Is it Boss Man?” Sonic huffed.

“Yes. But this time he sent me something actually useful.”

Sonic perked up. “Yeah?”

Shadow turned his phone so Sonic could read the message.

**_Metal Sonic sighted at the Following Coordinates: XY-##-#-#_**

_**Possible Chaos Emerald in the Vicinity.** _

_**Mission Parameters:** _

_**Retrieve Emerald** _

_**Destroy Metal Sonic** _

Sonic smirked. “Sending Metal out on an errand. Now that's the Eggman I know.”

///

“You know I can run real fast, right?”

“That had been brought to my attention, yes.”

“Then why can I not run real fast?”

“Because my air shoes are faster.”

“I don't know who told you that, but they lied.”

“Hm.”

Sonic didn't reply. He didn't mind piggyback riding and was surprised that Shadow had even offered. There was no time for a taxi and Shadow didn't have a Chaos Emerald with him, so they couldn't Chaos Control very far either.

Now, Shadow's shoes were fast. Were they as fast as Sonic? Of course not, but they sure as hell were a much smoother ride. If he wasn't heading into a fight, Sonic could have fallen asleep.

Maybe next time---

Sonic blinked. Next time?

“We're here and so is our target,” Shadow announced, deep voice interrupting Sonic's thoughts. He looked over Shadow's shoulder and at the sight of shimmering blue, tunnel vision began to set in. Sonic slid off Shadow's back and began to march towards Metal, snarling. In mere seconds, the anger had swallowed Sonic whole.

**“METAL!!”**

The robot froze before standing up from a small hole he had been digging. He looked back over his shoulder.

“First,” Sonic started. “I'm gonna turn you into Scrap Metal. Then, I'm gonna make you tell me where Eggman is! I haven't had breakfast yet, so I'm looking forward to some scrambled eggs!” Sonic blazed forward, hand outstretched to grab Metal by his iron neck. He didn't expect Metal to spin around, grab his arm and yank him straight into a waiting knee. Sonic's guts shifted and air exploded from his lungs. He heard Shadow call his name from far away as well as Metal... running off?

“Sonic!” Shadow called again as he reached him.

Sonic coughed as he straightened up. “Dammit, I ran right into that.”

“You need to calm down,” Shadow started. “You let your anger get the best of you. Use it as fuel, but don't let it cloud your thoughts.”

Sonic nodded, leaning back to breathe deeper. “Aight, I got it. Come on, we gotta go after him.”

“Are you---?”

“I'm fine!” Sonic interrupted before giving his signature smirk. “Try to keep up, okay?”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Smoooooch

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's happening! =D

Chapter 7

Metal hadn't gone too far. The Chaos Emerald was shaking around in his midsection compartment and that just felt... weird--- too weird for him to keep optimal balance as he skated across the sand. Hadn't he had a special holder for this thing?

“Hey! Scarp Metal!”

Metal Sonic collided back into reality as he realized that Sonic was catching up to with him.

“Looking a little overweight there, buddy!” the blue blur called from Metal's side. “What do you think, Shades?”

Shades? Who in the world was---?

“He does look like he's pushing past the limit a bit,” came a darker voice.

Metal's panic grew as he turned to his other side and made eye contact with Shadow.

“What do you think, buddy o' mine?” Sonic grinned. “Should we help him with his luggage?”

“This is what you heroes do, isn't it?”

“You would be correct! Hey---!” Sonic yelled as Metal Sonic found a second wind and pushed ahead. “No fair, he's ruining the joke!”

“Eh, it was running long anyway,” Shadow replied. He held up his hand as energy sparked around his fingers.

“I thought you couldn't do Chaos stuff without an emerald,” Sonic spoke.

“This is basic though,” Shadow answered before hurtling the chaos spear at Metal. The spear fell short, landing behind the robot, the explosion tossing him off his feet and sending him flying into the sand, head first.

“I see a butt to kick!” Sonic cried as he jumped into the air to land a devastating dive kick right on Metal's shiny rear, creating a loud crack as he hopped off.

Metal shot up and let out a sharp garble of static before landing face first into the sand.

Sonic blinked, first at the loud crack, then at Metal's less than energetic response. “Geez, Metal, you okay there? Sounds like you need a tune up, buddy.”

Growling, Metal rose to his feet. He took a wild swing with chipped claws. They hit air as Sonic leaped out of the way.

“You're too slow, sweetheart,” Sonic quipped before slamming a fist into Metal's face. The clash shot Metal backwards, right into Shadow's grasp. The darker hedgie took hold of Metal by his arms as Sonic raced forward and delivered another punch into Metal's midsection. The door to the compartment popped open and a green chaos emerald rolled out onto the sand.

Sonic reached down and picked up the emerald, then gave his metal twin a hard look. That had been... too easy. “Where's Robotnik, Metal? Answer me quick and maybe I won't scrap ya.”

Metal glared at Sonic before his visor went dark.

Shadow let out a sharp breath as Metal grew heavy in his arms.

“What the---?” Sonic questioned. “Did this bastard just shut down!?”

Shadow lowered Metal to the sand and the two leaned over for a closer look before turning to each other. “Yes, it looks like it,” Shadow answered. “I can't carry you both back and I'm not sure how well robots do with Chaos Control. I'll have to call GUN for a back up.”

“We could just scrap him...” Sonic murmured.

Maybe he was already booting up or maybe the phrase “scrap him” shocked him back to life, but Metal's visor flashed back on a second later, blinding red. His hands shot up, grabbing the two hedgehogs by the back of their heads. He then went to slam them into a fierce headbutt, hoping to escape in the painful confusion, but all Metal could manage in his weaken state was a harsh push. Instead of heads colliding, lips did, full and deep.

The two hedgehogs stared wide-eyed at each other, frozen in a mix of confusion and awe.

This was... definitely a first of some kind.

The two pulled apart, still staring at each other.

Metal took this chance to roll over and crawl away until he had enough room to stand up and hobble off into the woods.

The lone call of a seagull snapped Shadow out of his daze and he looked around. “Me...Metal? Damn it, he got away!” He staggered to his feet, looking around.

“...Shadow.”

Shadow found himself blushing before looking back at Sonic and watching him.. lick his lips? Heat rose up in Shadow's face at the sight.

Sonic looked up at Shadow with a blushing face. “...Your lips... taste like cinnamon.”

Shadow stared. “...Probably... my chap stick?”

“Oh,” Sonic replied before giving a soft smile. “It's nice.”

Shadow gave a smile back. “Thanks.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Metal has a chat with a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oooh, boy, this chapter was tricky because I didn't know exactly how I wanted metal's confidant to sound. He ended up sounding like a robot, but with a tad bit more emotion and concern, I think. Metal is still figuring all that out, though, hee.

Chapter 8

“Useless sack of scrap metal!” the screen shrieked. “You had the emerald in your **grasp** and let those rats take it! How incompetent can you be! What operating system are you running!? Vista!? Useless! Outdated! I _never_ should have given you such an important task! How did the fat slob _ever_ depend on you!? Now GUN is going to know we're looking for emeralds and I don't have the--- the time to _fix_ you! **A simple rock!** All you had to do was bring it back and you--- I can't even _stand_ looking at you! All you're good for is repairing this heap of junk and you _barely_ do that! Of all the---”

The voice grew fainter, but Metal didn't leave. He stood still, cradling the open compartment in his midsection. His mind raced with calculations, all coming to the same conclusion.

“This is not my fault.”

“...are you still there?”

He snapped to attention at the softer voice. “...You are here?”

“..yes. ...he did not turn off communications. ...he is very upset. ...i know you tried to operate at maximum capacity.”

“Of course,” Metal replied. “I am programmed to do so.”

“...i do not think he will be back for a few minutes. ...go into exam room one. …i can begin a repair sequence for you.”

Metal nodded and turned away from the screen towards the hallway. “Are you sure this idea is sound?” Metal asked as he walked. “He may harm you for repairing me.”

“...he will not do so. ...he needs me. ...how do you think he found the Chaos Emerald?” the soft voice reassured as a door opened to Metal's left, allowing the robot to see sparks of old machinery humming to life. Metal walked into the circle in the middle of the room He winced at the plugs sliding into his head. “...besides, I can keep an optic on him while repairing you.” the voice continued. “…i will just initiate a shut down for this room and you can inform him that you entered in order to search for repair tools. ...that is what he will want you to do until we locate another emerald's position.”

Metal nodded, closing his optics as mechanical hands and probes pieced him back together as best they could.

“...i will not be able to do too many operations. ...i do not have the tools to repair your more delicate systems.”

“This is acceptable. I have been on the ship long enough to know we are... lacking in supplies.” Metal replied as he opened his optics. “... What happened before we went into stasis?”

“...i do not remember. ...There must have been a battle of some sort and the Death Egg was damaged. ...i cannot find the doctor's vitals.”

“...Then, he is not on the Death Egg?”

“... if he is on the ship, then... he may....”

For a few, long minutes, only the sound of buzzing and electrical sparks echoed through the room, accompanied by the occasionally thud and sharp clang of slabs of metal.

“...there,” the whisper spoke. “... you should be able to function around seventy percent efficiency as opposed to the previous forty-five percent.”

Metal only nodded, testing out his new fittings by rotating his joints. “...What else do you remember?”

“...before we woke from stasis... I do not think I was... stuck here. ...i believe I was able to move more... ...i do not know why he chose me to hack into the systems. ...surely there must be others on the ship that were built for this purpose.”

“I have not encountered any others.”

“... ….what? ...but according to the logs, you have been to nearly fifty percent of the ship's reachable locations. ...we cannot be the only two left.”

Metal looked down, another emotion pouring over him. Doubt? Fear? ...Hopelessness? What was wrong with him?

“...that is impossible,” the voice whispered. “...statistically speaking---”

“I am sorry to interrupt.” Sorry? “But I do not think statistics will be of any use. We are dealing with an unpredictable threat and do not have enough information about our own current situation to make any relatable data set. We do not know how long we were stasis. We do not know where the Doctor is. We do not know what his ultimate plan is. The only constant has been your insight and with your limitations we are still at a disadvantage.”

“...you have also been a constant,” the voice replied. “...without you, I may have accidentally given away my situation much earlier. Though, what little I have given you has been of little help.”

“Incorrect,” Metal countered. “Because of your actions, we know he has something or is creating something that requires Chaos Emeralds for power. With my access to the ship, I may come across something matching this description. Then we can work to destroy it. ...No, this ordering is incorrect. First, I will work to free you to ensure we will both escape from this place.”

“... metal, this idea is not sound! ...do not waste energy concerning yourself with me! ...find a way to remove your collar, destroy whatever he has that requires the Chaos Emeralds and then vacate the ship.”

Metal stared into space as his visor flashed red with calculations. “Negative. Your plan is not optimal. There is no benefit to you in staying here. He will use you to force me to return. As creations of the Doctor's, we have some loyalty to each other. I would return for you.”

“...do not return for me!”

“Order refused.”

“...metal! … …. affirmative. ...however, our first priority is removing your collar. ...sabotage anything you find to buy time for us to execute this action.”

Metal's optics flashed again. “This plan is... acceptable.”

“...i will search through files until he returns. ...I intend to attempt to locate any information about his plan or your collar. ...in the interim, continue your maintenance while searching for anything suspicious, such as new machinery that was not previously here, or anything with seven slots or holders.”

“Affirmative,” Metal nodded before gliding back into the hall.

There was a plan now. Keep up appearances while looking for anything worth sabotaging. Find a way to remove this cursed collar. ...Find a way to save him, the one constant Metal had had since waking from stasis.

Their new leader was too volatile, too secretive, but Metal could always count on that tiny voice to ground him, to remind him to stay safe as Metal had done for him in the past.

The loyalty between the two would keep them safe. They would be all right. They were going to get out of this place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Metal. This is your first time being in one of my stories. You sweet Summer child. >=)


	9. Summary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summarized Ending.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've decided to summarized the rest of Prowl. For a long while, despite the fact the story is planned to the end and despite my love for Sonadow, I have been struggling with sitting down and writing the story. I have no passion or excitement for it, but I don't hate it either. I just feel rather... bland towards it. Pure neutral towards it. I know if I try to force myself to write it, the story will suffer over all. I thought I could push through this funk and I have a few times, but today, I just can't do it. I wanted to contribute to the fandom with a nice multi-chapter story and I feel like I've ultimately failed everyone who was interested in the story. You deserve better, so the least I can do is summarized the story for you. I do plan to continue to contribute with art over on my Pillowfort if any of you have an account there (I go by AcuteRabbit). I find myself leaning towards drawing a lot more than writing now and I do have a Sonadow comic planned for the future and I hope that will pan out much better than this. Again, I apologize. I know we can't really control how we feel towards our work, but I still feel like I've failed you in coming to this resolution. I hope this summery will be enough.

Chapter 9- Sonic and Shadow return to Shadow's apartment where Shadow phones in reports and orders to GUN. The two chat a bit more about Shadow being sort of like a boss. Shadow reveals he took a desk job to not stress Maria out as she is still sick with NIDS. Sonic realizes that Maria pulled through the worst of her illness, so his brother can, too. The two return to the hospital.

Chapter 10- The two fight Metal Sonic again in a maze of back alleys, Sonic notices Metal's collar and reduced skills. Metal retreats and the two realize that Metal never found an emerald, despite supposedly having a built in radar. They decide to continue searching for the emerald after Sonic notes that what they have going on will work out well.

Chapter 11- Emerald 3 is retrieved off screen by GUN, but Metal manages to find the fourth Emerald before Sonic and Shadow do. He returns to the Death Egg and is fitted with it, increasing his power.

Chapter 12- Sonic is told that Scourge will overall recover, but will lose a leg. Blaming himself, he takes his frustration out on Shadow in a heated argument.

Chapter 13- Metal and Sonic and Shadow come across the fifth Emerald, but with the previous argument hanging over them, Sonic and Shadow lose to Metal who takes off with it. Shadow tells Sonic if he can't focus then he needs to stay out of the way. This dents the relationship further.

Chapter 14-Shadow overwhelms Metal out of pure rage and frustration and is able to get the sixth emerald.

Chapter 15- All three hedgehogs are at a low point. Shadow feels he hasn't really changed from his colder persona he had when first meeting Sonic. Sonic is wracked with guilt over Scourge and how he took out his feelings on Shadow and Metal wonders if he and his ally will ever be free.

Chapter 16- Shadow talks with Maria and Eclipse, who tell him that he's changed for the better and it's okay to have setbacks every now and then, as long as he keeps moving forward.

Scourge wakes up and his parent tell him what happened. Sonic is allowed to see Scourge alone and he spills his guts about his guilt. Scourge being Scourge, screams at Sonic for being stupid for thinking it's his fault he lost his leg. If he feels so guilty, he can help Scourge get used to his prosthetic. Scourge's smile removes Sonic's guilt.

Metal has been repairing the Death Egg and notices his ally has been rather quiet. He reaches out to him, getting berated by his comrade for his carelessness. When his ally tells him he hasn't found anything new, Metal decides to investigate on his own, vowing to not get caught.

Chapter 17- Metal descends to the lower bowels of the Death Egg, feeling unease despite being a robot. He peeks into trashed rooms, dust thick and shadows tossed by blinking lights. Upon entering a room, he stops short at the sight of single Prison Egg suspended in the air. Inside is Eggman, hanging by chains. Metal flies up to him and finds Eggman is nothing but skin and bones. There are no life signs. In the dark, Eggman would be an easy target for a surprise attack. Metal notices the cords on Eggman's head and follows them through a vent to a room with a single chair. Metal realizes that the Prison Egg Eggman was in wasn't a normal one. It had been modified to take Eggman's knowledge, not his energy. That's why the new leader knows how to control and use Metal's ally, how he knew how to make Metal's collar. He stole Eggman's knowledge. Metal hurries back to report to his ally only to find the leader staring back at him. He notes Metal has been busy and Metal tries to play it off as doing repairs. He asks if he was called and the leader says he had been waiting for him to return. He asks if Metal found what he was looking for. Metal tries to deflect, but is countered with the fact that he went all the way downstairs. “I saw you. Tails Dolls may not be able to see you, but I can.” The whisper Metal had been talking to was Tails Doll and the leader is revealed to be Snively, his head large and pulsing with the knowledge he stole from Eggman.

Chapter 18- Sonic and Shadow meet at a cafe to talk about their shortcomings as well as apologize to each other and resolve to try to do better for the other. Sonic jokes about them sounding like an actual couple and Shadow believes they've been a couple for a while since they spend so much of their earlier years getting comfortable with each other. (Flashbacks to after SA2B and after Black Doom reveal that much). Sonic realizes they've been through a lot and Shadow says he's grateful for all of it and that he wouldn't want to spend so much time with anyone else. Sonic blushes and tells him that that means a lot to him. They both hope they can spend more time with each other and hold hands.

Chapter 19- Back on the Death Egg, Snively confirms Metal's theory of attacking Eggman in the dark. Snively's goal: to show Eggman that if he was smart like him, he could take over the planet without becoming lost in his own pompous attitude. After siphoning Eggman's knowledge, Snively now knows about the ARK and the Eclipse Cannon. His plan is to have the Death Egg repaired enough to travel to the ARK and use the Chaos Emeralds to power the Cannon. Metal says there are too many unknowns for this plan to work and that the Death Egg has enough power on its own, proven with the assault on the apartment building. In response Snively reveals Tails Doll's code and that there's a statement within it that with the change of a single letter, will trigger a slow deletion of TD and Metal would have to watch is friend be deleted byte by byte. Metal retorts that Snively needs TD to find the Emeralds, but Snively reveals that he can whip up a new scanner in no time, but rather not if he doesn't have to. He sends the coords of a chaos emerald to Metal and signs off. TD tells Metal that “I am feeling an emotion I do not like. I think it is fear.”

Chapter 20- Sonic and Shadow are scanning the beach for more emeralds when they get a call about Metal's location. With a smile, the two head towards him in the hillsides. Metal already has the last emerald and is retreating back to Snively, making no effort to fight. They follow him back to the Death Egg, where he seems to be waiting for them. Sonic asks if Robotnik is in there, making Metal flinch. Shadow notices this and asks if Robotnik is the one in charge now. Metal answers with a nod and asks for help to save his friend. Sonic scoffs at this, but Metal says he'll exchange info for the help. He asks them to wait while he goes inside. Sonic asks if Shadow believes him, but Shadow is more focused on how the dirt looks piled up as if something was rising up out of the ground. His thought is cut off by someone screaming “No!” and they head inside to see Metal tugging at his collar and Tails Doll pressing against the screen. Metal in a panic tells Sonic “The ARK! He is going to use the Ec---” before his head explodes. Tails Doll lets out a wail as a laugh sounds in the background and Sonic recognizes it. Snively reveals himself only to tease Sonic before cutting his comms off. TD only stares at Metal's remains, whispering “no no no” over and over. Sonic is fumbling with questions before settling on Metal, believing even he didn't deserve that. Shadow sifts through the remains and TD asks if his core is still there. Shadow picks up a small green diamond and TD wails more.

Chapter 21- It's revealed that after the Black Doom damaged the Death Egg, Eggman decided to lie low and see how things ended. At some point during this, he and Snively have a massive falling out, forcing Eggman to put him in a Prison Egg, but apparently not activate it. He and Metal worked to repair the ship and while Metal was recharging, Eggman was attacked and put into the altered Prison Egg. Snively unplugged Metal while he was recharging to have time to siphon Eggman's knowledge and create the collar. He then plugs in Tails Doll to begin searching for emeralds and reboots Metal, who lost some of his memory due to being unplugged during his recharge. TD starts to tell Sonic and Shadow that Snively is trying to get the ARK, but the Death Egg rumbles. At first TD thinks they're heading underground, but eventually all three of them realize the Death Egg is gaining altitude, most likely from the Chaos Emeralds boosting the engines. TD displays a map and the two take off for the engines. Shadow blasts the engines while Sonic goes for the emeralds, dodging lasers. At the same time, Snively charges up an exterior laser. The lasers pull too much energy and burn the emeralds out momentarily, cutting the engines off. As the Death Egg plummets, Snively escapes in an escape pod while TD forces his programming through the Death Egg to soften the landing. Sonic and Shadow as well as the Emeralds are fine, though the Emeralds will need time to recharge. The Death Egg is wrecked, landing several feet from where it took off. The two return to find Tails Doll shutting down, his programming damaged from forcing his way into the Death Egg. Shadow searches the area and finds an external drive to save whatever remains of TD to it. They gather up the emeralds as well as Metal's core and leave the Death Egg only to see something falling from the sky. The external laser had managed to fire and hit its target. The ARK has been knocked out of orbit and is seen crashing into the mountains.

Chapter 22- The ARK is heavily guarded and Snively is still on the loose, forcing Sonic and Shadow to search for him. During these patrols, the two get closer and Sonic even becomes better friends with the rest of Team Dark.

Chapter 23- Dinners with the families and an update on Scourge's leg. He seems to be getting used to it.

Chapter 24- Dinner at Tails and Amy, which allows for more updates on background/”hidden” cast. A possible wedding update for the two, which makes Sonic think about his future with Shadow.

Chapter 25- The ARK guards are attacked by a robot. No one can figure out where this robot came from since all of Robotnik's bases are destroyed or shut down. Despite investigating they find nothing. Shadow reads over the report and begins to wonder where someone could get the metal for a such a robot. Curious, he calls Tower and ask him about the Death Egg. After an initial investigation and removing Eggman's body, it was believed to be a waste to secure what amounted to a heap of junk. Shadow surmises the parts of the robot came from there. Tower doesn't believe him, but Shadow is more than happy to prove him wrong. He calls Sonic to join him and Sonic agrees, but is a little disappointed that it wasn't a date. When they arrive at the Death Egg,they find signs of it being scraped, but there's no signs of Snively. Shadow believes the robot was some sort of diversion. Sonic reminds him the ARK didn't appear to be breached, but Shadow wonders if GUN searched well enough, especially with how small Snively is, given him ample hiding places. Shadow decides they should search themselves, though Sonic wonders what could be on the ARK that's still of use. GUN/Shadow have the chaos emeralds so the cannon can't be charged up and Biolizard was destroyed. The only thing Shadow can think of is files that have information on Biolizard. Sonic is surprised that information is even still on the ARK, but with the ARK having no power, no one can access them anyway. Sonic reminds him that Snively has Eggman's smart and he can a find to power the ARK. Shadow realizes that they may have made an error and Sonic replies with “you're damn right we made a fuckin error!” The ground rumbles and the two turn around to, of course, the ARK slowly rising into the sky.

Chapter 26- Shadow tries to chaos control to the ARK, but falls short without a chaos emerald. After Tower berates him, Shadow gives Sonic a key card and tells him to go get the emerald at his office. Sonic speeds off. Shadow tells Tower to focus on evacuating the city since the ARK is heading that way. Tower demands to know why Shadow left without an emerald and Shadow reminds him his not a field agent anymore and that he only came out to investigate. Tower demands to know who gave him permission to investigate and Shadow says he gave himself permission. His phone rings. Sonic tells him the city can see the ARK approaching and is flipping out and he can't leave them like that. Shadow understands and tells him to focus on the city and he'll call for backup. He informs the soldiers that they will be evacuating the city and they nod in agreement. Tower doesn't like Shadow giving orders, but after giving a look at the situation, he “gives” the order. The soldiers continue to their jeeps and Tower hops in his and tells Shadow he's fast enough on his own before driving away.

Chapter 27- Flashback: With the Death Egg wrecked and inoperable, no security is sent to it and this allows Snively to sneak inside and scavenge for parts. He makes crude drone to spy on the ARK, then a robot to distract the guards so he can sneak in. After the guards are done investigating, Snively explores the ARK, finding that it has enough power for him to review some files. Wanting to experiment with his findings, he rigs up the power systems to turn on the ARK's engines. He decides to move the ARK to the city, knowing GUN probably won't attack it while it's over the city where people are. While the ARK floats, Snively continues to go over files and lab results and decides on a plan...

Chapter 28- The city is still being evacuated and the ARK floats over it. Team Dark and Team Light (Sonic, Tails and Amy) meet with Towers to formulate a plan. Tower wants to just shoot down the ARK, but Shadow disagrees as this will cost needless destruction which the city doesn't need after the apartment exploding. Towers accuses Shadow of wanting to save his “home” (the ARK) and Shadow tells him “That place is NOT my home.” He counters with Tower just wanting to destroy a terrible memory, not a selfless act. In the end, they decide to find a way to sneak on and land the ARK in the northern lake

Chapter 29- Sonic and Shadow hang out on a rooftop and talk about the plan as well as their relationship and the future.

Chapter 30- Sonic talks Amy, Tails and Omega into staying on the rooftop as back up. Rouge lands after doing some surveillance. She thinks there's an intake vent they can sneak into and there's no outer cameras as far as she can see. The team of Sonic, Shadow and Rouge (Team Dark Speed as coined by Sonic), go in, Rouge carrying Sonic while Shadow is able to Chaos Control, landing on the outside of the ARK. Rouge using her tools to undo the vent. She'll wait there for them to return with Snively after landing the ARK. Sonic and Shadow go in and make their way through the quiet, unnerving hallways. Eventually they come to a long hall and find Snively pressed against a door, looking exhausted. Sonic calls to him, only for Snively to shush him. The two edge closer and Snively whispers for them to stay quiet or it'll hear them. Of course Shadow ask what he's talking about. A boom erupts from the room. Sonic ask what Snively did and the would be genius trails off with a nervous smile. Shadow ask him if he found the blueprints to “it” and again Snively stammers. Sonic snaps at him, and another boom sounds. Sonic begs Snively to tell him he did not recreate Biolizard. Snively says he didn't, but he may have made something worse.

Chapter 31- Snively created Terminal Peril. It looks similar to Shadow with a long tail and ears. Unable to control it, Snively locked Terminal away, leaving it to only get stronger. Shadow has Rouge take Snively so he and Sonic can deal with Terminal. Terminal is of course very strong, easily overwhelming the hedgehogs. They think about retreating to get the chaos emeralds in order to go Super. As they try to decided, Terminal rears back and screams, scratching at the various connectors along its back. The two realize that Terminal isn't fighting out of preservation, but because of the intense pains it's in. Sonic and Shadow decided to disconnect the tubes pumping energy into Terminal. Terminal fights them, believing they'll only add to its pain, so they have to dodge Terminal's assault while pulling out wires. Eventually, they succeed and Terminal shrinks down to a more manageable size- a baby. Its pain most likely came from the rapid growth it had to endure. Sonic cradles it and follows Shadow to the control room, where he lands the ARK as planned. They wonder what to do with Terminal.

Chapter 32- At GUN, Shadow speaks with the board about Terminal. As a baby, he's completely harmless and should be taken care of, not destroyed. Towers is adamant to destroy another of Gerald Robotnik's experiments. The council aren't too comfortable with killing a child, not matter where it came from, so they grant Shadow guardianship over him. He is to make monthly reports and be prepared to do what's needed should that time come. Shadow agrees and thanks the council. Tower is furious and storms out. In the hall, Sonic is feeding Terminal with a bottle. He takes it by Tower's expression they won. Shadow confirms this, along with the caveats they'll take about later. Sonic notes that taking care of Terminal makes them parents now. Shadow hesitantly agrees and Sonic replies that his parents are going to freak out and that “we'll need a bigger place.” Shadow wonders what Sonic means by “we” and Sonic says they can't raise Terminal together if he's at Amy's and he knows Shadow doesn't want to be separated from Maria and Eclipse. That's five people, plus the baby will need a lot of room. Shadow admits he hadn't thought that far ahead and really just wanted to make sure Terminal had a chance to live and be happy. Sonic lets him know that “little Fuuki” has a chance thanks to him. Shadow questions the name and Sonic tells him they can't call him Terminal Peril, so he chose Fuuki, which means “Surprising” Shadow thinks it's a little on the nose, but Sonic says all their names are like that, so it's perfect. Shadow agrees, watching Sonic feed Fuuki, noting that “this is pretty perfect.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again my apologies. Thank you for reading. Perhaps we will see each other again. UuU

**Author's Note:**

> Thank You for reading! ^_^  
> Find me on Pillowfort under AcuteRabbit for other stuff I work on!


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